Andy Cohen is weighing in on the growing criticism surrounding Vicki Gunvalson’s behavior on The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip.
During today’s episode of SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live, a caller asked Andy about the backlash Vicki received after the Atlanta stop on RHUGT, where some viewers felt she came across as uninterested, negative and disconnected from the group.
The caller made it clear that they did not believe Vicki was racist, but questioned whether the RHOC OG was simply in a different stage of life than the other women and no longer “hip” to the current Housewives dynamic.
Andy first pointed out that Vicki filmed Ultimate Girls Trip before returning to The Real Housewives of Orange County, meaning viewers are seeing two different versions of Vicki at different points in her return to Bravo.
“I think that the story that is being. First of all, she shot Girls Trip first,” Andy said. “She hadn’t been on television in, you know, a few years, so she was kinda coming into it.”
Andy then explained that when it comes to Vicki on RHOC, he actually finds her current life stage interesting because fans have watched her evolve for 20 years.
“What I like about it is that we have been watching this woman for 20 years, and you are seeing her, as you said, at a different life stage,” Andy explained. “And yes, she’s at a different life stage than many of the other women, but you know, you see her reflecting on her life a lot on that show.”
Andy noted that Vicki is currently reflecting on some major parts of her life, including her past marriage to Donn Gunvalson.
“She regrets divorcing Don,” Andy said. “She is dealing with some ailments.”
John Hill then jumped in with, “She can’t shit.”
Andy clarified that specific issue was shown on Ultimate Girls Trip, but said he still finds Vicki’s current chapter on RHOC compelling.
“I find her on Orange County to be placed in the moment that she is in her life,” Andy said. “So maybe for the viewers, it’s not vibing because she’s at such a different place than Gina or Emily or whatever.”
Andy then bluntly acknowledged the age difference between Vicki and some of the newer RHOC women.
“She is an elder. She’s 20 years older than them,” Andy said. “But I find that interesting because it’s the 20th season and we are seeing where her life is right now.”
As for Ultimate Girls Trip, Andy admitted that some viewers may not have been as amused by Vicki’s early behavior as he was.
“I was amused by it, to tell you the truth, in a way that I think maybe some viewers weren’t,” he said.
But according to Andy, fans should keep watching because Vicki eventually turns a corner.
“She finally, as of last night, has her groove back,” Andy said. “And you see now for the rest of the run, the Vicki that you love.”
Andy teased that Vicki becomes more engaged with the group as the season continues.
“She is whooping it up and she’s doing tequila shots and she’s really into it,” he said. “And I think the women are understanding her better and I think she’s understanding all of the women a little better.”
However, Andy added that there may be one exception.
“With the exception of Luann,” Andy said. “Which I think Vicki and Luann is the rivalry that I didn’t know that I needed, but I really enjoy.”
The caller then suggested that Vicki may have struggled during the Atlanta stop because she did not feel like she was being treated as the OG of the OC. The caller pointed out that in Atlanta, NeNe Leakes was revered by fans, and Vicki may have felt like she was playing “second fiddle.”
Andy agreed that could be possible and said some longtime Housewives who are used to being major faces of the franchise can struggle when they have to share the spotlight in an ensemble setting.
“I think that could very well be true,” Andy said. “And I think that there are several Housewives who have been singled out as being kind of one of the main faces of the Housewives who, you know, it’s maybe harder for them to share the spotlight as an ensemble show.”
Andy clarified that he was speaking generally and not only about Vicki.
“I’m not saying this about Vicki, but I’m saying in general,” he explained.
Andy also pointed out that Luann de Lesseps noticed how different Vicki’s Orange County stop felt compared to the other cities.
“I am happy that you see in this episode Luann of all people said, ‘You know, Vicki, you didn’t get any attention in Orange County,’” Andy said.
He explained that after the women visited Orange County, Beverly Hills and Atlanta, they saw how different each Housewife’s home turf felt. Kyle Richards was celebrated in Beverly Hills, NeNe was celebrated in Atlanta, but Vicki’s Orange County stop did not exactly give her the same OG treatment.
“They saw how NeNe was revered. They saw how Kyle was revered,” Andy said. “And now Luann is like, ‘Wow, you got crap from those East OC women.’”
Andy also revealed that the RHUGT stop in Orange County was more dramatic than viewers even saw, specifically because of Tamra Judge and Shannon Beador.
“I also wanna point out, we really cut down and almost eliminated the drama between Tamra and Shannon at the OC stop,” Andy revealed. “And they were really in a thing and it really kind of dominated and maybe overshadowed everything else that was happening.”
According to Andy, that may have contributed to Vicki’s mood early on.
“That did wind up being the kind of downer stop, which could have gotten in Vicki’s head since it was the first stop,” Andy said.
Vicki has received criticism this season for appearing checked out at certain moments on RHUGT, especially during the Atlanta party hosted by Porsha Williams. Tamra Judge also recently called out Vicki on Two Ts in a Pod, saying Vicki did not make enough of an effort to mingle and that her behavior “wasn’t a good look.”
But Andy seems to think viewers are about to see a shift.
According to him, Vicki may have started the trip struggling to find her place, but she eventually settles in, starts “whooping it up” and reminds fans why she became one of the most iconic Housewives in the first place.
For Andy, Vicki’s current chapter may not be what every viewer expects, but that is exactly what makes it interesting.
After 20 years, fans are not watching the same Vicki they met in Season 1 of RHOC.